


An Astrophysicist

by Adenil



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alien Invasion, Drug Addiction, GammaStar, M/M, Mentors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-10
Updated: 2015-07-10
Packaged: 2018-04-08 16:30:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4312302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adenil/pseuds/Adenil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Bruce struggles with a drug addiction which is being encouraged by SHIELD, aliens invading the planet, and excruciating pain, his old mentor Erik Selvig returns to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Astrophysicist

**Author's Note:**

> This was begun by an anonymous prompter on [tumblr](http://adenil-umano.tumblr.com/post/123743061975/selvig-the-guy-thor-asked-maria-hill-nodded). Thanks anon! The world needs more gammastar.

"Selvig?" The guy--Thor, asked. Maria nodded and arched an eyebrow at Bruce.

"He's a--" Bruce paused. What was he? A friend? No, they'd been more than that. An ex? But they'd never really dated, not really. An almost? A regret? He was Erik, and there were so many words that could fit. He settled on one, "An astrophysicist."

“I know of him. He is a good man,” Thor said, already distracted again as another alien attempted to shoot him in the head. “Please, excuse me.”

Maria shot over the chunk of building they were using for cover and then ducked back down. Her short hair was a shambles, her mouth a grim line. “What about him?”

“We could use his help,” Bruce said. He stared intently at his watch, counting down the seconds until he could change again. “Especially if I’m going to be big and green. I can’t deal with closing this portal when I’m busy smashing things.”

Maria scoffed. “Fine. How do you know him?”

“We–” Bruce wondered, briefly, if the answer was locked away in a file somewhere. If Maria had pored over it before being assigned to him, seen words like  _illicit relationship_  alongside  _mentor_ and  _nepotism_  with a question mark. “We published a few papers together,” Bruce finally decided on. “And I worked with him at Culver. He knows almost as much about gamma radiation as Dr. Ross or I do.”

“But he’s not liable to bring his insane father along for the ride, I got it.” Maria stood again, swiveling around and blasting an alien right in the sternum–if aliens had sternums. “I’ll get someone on it. How much time do you have?”

Bruce held up a hand, counting down five, four, three, two– “See you on the other side.”

Bruce rose, twisting and turning as time-delayed gamma flooded his system again. He was already taller as he stepped over the wall, swinging one green arm forward and bellowing, “SMASH!”

* * *

 

Thor picked him out of a pile of rubble. “You fought well, my friend!” he exclaimed, grinning.

Bruce groaned and rolled over, hiding his head beneath his arms. “Is it over?”

“A lull only, I fear.” Thor bent and offered his hand. Bruce accepted it.

“They’re still coming?” He could already feel Hulk vibrating under his skin, pushing out. It was like shocks were running through his bones as he tried to contain the Hulk. He needed his suppressor shot, badly. “Get me to medical.”

Thor gathered him in one arm and spun Mjolnir, throwing them into the air. Bruce clung. “We believe they have suffered heavy losses,” Thor shouted over the rushing air. “Yet still they do not retreat. Your Fury believes they are amassing for another attack.”

“I don’t care,” Bruce said, turning his face into Thor’s body to block the wind.

They landed among a sea of SHIELD issued vans. Doctors and nurses moved steadily through injured agents. Bruce caught sight of Captain Rogers arguing with Tony in one corner of the bay as a doctor ineffectually tried to bandage a cut on his forehead.

“Dr. Banner,” Maria said, stepping out of the crowd. There was a bandage wrapped around her right arm. “Glad to see you made it out in one piece. I lost sight of you in the battle.”

“Sure,” Bruce said, pushing past her. She followed doggedly as he rushed towards the medical supply van.

“You’ll be pleased to know we located Dr. Selvig,” she went on. Bruce could feel her eyes burning at the back of his neck and it infuriated him. He forced himself to stay calm, relaxed. Just a few more minutes of handling this himself and then–”He should be arriving any minute. Are you prepared to brief him?”

“I’m prepared to get my shot,” Bruce spat. Instantly regretting it, he shut his mouth with a click. “Just. I can’t find it. Get me Dr. Zabo.”

Bruce curled against the wall of the van as she left without another word. He focused on his breathing and tried to ignore the way his hands shook, the way his muscles twitched and pulled and screamed. The pain was exhausting, sharp and all-encompassing and he could barely focus past it to keeping the Hulk down.  _Not here, not here._

“Dr. Banner?” Maria said. 

Bruce sucked in a hissing breath and turned. Zabo was standing behind Maria, eyeing him grimly. Bruce’s heart sank. That wasn’t a good sign.

“You’ve already gone over your weekly allotment, Banner,” Zabo said. He walked around Bruce and instantly found the thin vial of black sludge that would suppress the Hulk for a few short hours. Damn, it had been right in front of Bruce the whole time. Had he truly been so distracted he couldn’t see it? “Director Fury has already made it clear that we won’t support your habit. Further, you are to be ready to return to your Hulk form in the event of–”

Bruce punched him in the face.

He caught the vial as Zabo fell. He jabbed it into his own arm and sighed in relief as it flooded his system. Maria rushed past him, already wearing a look that said she would be punishing him for this later. Bruce didn’t care. He nearly cried with relief as his body relaxed.

Behind them, someone cleared their throat. Bruce turned and his relief vanished at the sight of Erik Selvig. He was carrying a briefcase and frowning slightly.

“Dr. Banner,” Erik said, face mottled with confusion at the scene.

“Erik,” Bruce croaked. And then he had to sit down, so he did.

* * *

 

He looked older but then, Bruce supposed he looked older, too. 

Erik still had the same smile and sad eyes. It made Bruce wonder where he’d gotten that look from in he first place. Bruce studied him as they worked together to SHIELD’s makeshift lab.

“I see the problem,” Erik said after only a few hours. He shifted a few holograms around. “Do you?”

Bruce rolled his eyes. “I’m not a student anymore,” he said, but he still stood behind Erik and peered over his shoulder. Now that Erik had put all the pieces together it did make sense. “Oh. They’ve got an unstable micro-wormhole vibrating across the solar system. It must cost them an unbelievable amount of energy to run.”

Erik nodded. “It’s basically held together with a shoe string. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re burning out a Sun’s worth of energy an hour.”

Bruce hummed low. “How did I not notice how unstable it is?”

Erik folded his arms and sighed. “I don’t know, Bruce,” he said softly. “How did you not notice you’re a drug addict?”

Bruce yanked away. He glanced to Maria in the corner, who was politely ignoring them. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he hissed. Erik still didn’t look at him, and it made Bruce’s heart clench. “I need it,” he insisted. “I need it to keep the Hulk down. You have no idea what kind of pain I’m in.”

“No, I don’t,” Erik agreed. He finally turned, and Bruce’s breath caught. He could see unshed tears in Erik’s eyes. “But I do know you were fine for  _years_  Bruce. Do you think I didn’t keep track of you? I saw the news reports. Every one of your sightings was documented, as was the aftermath. You never acted like this before. What has SHIELD done to you?”

“They’re helping me,” Bruce insisted. “They’re–It’s a mutually beneficial relationship.” The lie stuck in his throat, glaringly obvious even to his own ears.

Erik sighed. He considered Bruce for a long moment as Bruce fidgeted, wishing for Erik to understand. Finally, Erik said, “We’ll need to get me close enough to the generator on this end to break the link. Got any ideas?”

Bruce glanced at his watch. Fifteen minutes. “I have one pretty bad one.”

* * *

 

As he shifted, his last sight not tainted with screaming rage was of Erik’s face, eyes wide in fear. It was painful to see, but even his old…friend couldn’t hide the fear he felt when he saw the Hulk.

* * *

 

Bruce had never awoken so slowly. It was a gradual awareness that built steadily, smoothly. He was soft and warm. He could smell cedar wood and the blanket he was swaddled in was rough cotton. He burrowed a little deeper and sighed in contentment. 

This wasn’t SHIELD.

Somehow, the thought didn’t terrify him. He still let wakefulness come naturally, finally sitting up and glancing around the small cabin. 

Erik looked over at him from the kitchen table, smiling. “Finally awake, I see.”

“I’m not in pain,” Bruce said first. He pinched his arm to see, but that still hurt.

“I did give you a dose,” Erik explained. “Hulk was only able to grab a few dozen, however. It’s…up to you whether we synthesize more. But I hope that I can help you wean off of it.”

Bruce sighed and buried his face in his hands. He held there for a long moment until he felt the bed dip and sway as Erik sat down on the edge. “I don’t think–” Bruce began.

“Don’t worry about it right now,” Erik said. “Just let me know.”

Bruce nodded. He folded his arms over his bent knees and rested his chin upon them, gazing at Erik. “Does SHIELD know I’m here?” He already knew the answer.

“No,” Erik said, confirming it. “Although…Thor does.”

“Thor?”

“I needed his help to make sure SHIELD couldn’t find you. He did some Asgardian science-magic, I’m not sure exactly what. But we’re hidden as long as we stay in the immediate vicinity.” He smiled at Bruce.

Bruce couldn’t bear to smile back. “Why are you doing this?”

Erik reached out, and Bruce met him halfway to tangle their fingers together. “What else are friends for?”

Bruce didn’t think friendship usually included such things–things like fighting aliens and getting rid of Incredible Hulks and hiding from assassins in the middle of the woods. But he couldn’t bear to let go. He held fast to Erik’s hand and tried to contain the shaking that was anything but pain induced.


End file.
